4th XI win at Langley (just)....

Match Report from Karl Iveson.

With heavy rain the previous day the pitch was damp and the outfield boggy in places. Mixed with the overcast conditions it was a sure fire thing to bowl first if we were to win the toss... anyway toss won. Batting first.

Mo and Zain trundled out in the difficult conditions against a youthful but consistent set of opening bowlers. Mo (still struggling with injury) had difficulty getting anything worthwhile away. While at the other end Zain was playing well and measured.

The going was slow, after 10 overs they had barely gone past 20 runs. Mo soon left to a good ball. With Kabir the incoming batsman looking assured and positive from the off. Zain went quickly after trying to up the run rate. This brought Bilal to the crease who shared a 60 run partnership with Kabir. He then fell going for a big shot. Iveson was quickly in and out missing a straight one. Waseem and Tayyab both came and went without troubling the scorers too much either.

Push came in and played nicely. Kabir then went for one big shot too many and holed out to deep long on. Push was then joined by Krish. Somehow they added a fair few runs without calling at any point. Of course that wouldn't last long and Push was eventually run out. The tail wagged slightly and from 23 off 10 overs TCC worked there way to a decent total, all out on the last ball for 167.

The weather started to warm up over the break. The sun was even threatening to make a guest appearance.

Cross opened the bowling with Push at the other end. Langley as TCC did, made a slow start, until a poor ball from Cross went like a rocket through backward square leg to never be seen again. And with this the struggle began. No 'new' spare balls were to be found, only two 30+ over balls.

The balls was worked on well and chances came with Cross taking the first wicket of the chirpy Susans. The bowlers were then shuffled around with little coming off and catches dropped. The captain Hughes and Shivanka toiled away taking them up to drinks. After drinks Waseem made the breakthrough taking Shivankas wicket and it was thought at this point that Langley would fold.

Alas the Langley captain had other ideas and set about dragging his team towards a difficult total. He was duly helped by Boon and Davies who contributed well. But after he was bowled by Waseem it all seemed over. Until the penultimate over. The over that almost gave the game away. A number of fours and poor fielding almost gave the game to Langley but in the final nervy over Langley had just that too much to do. Although a final ball 3 from what should have been a single summed up the abject fielding display from the majority of team, with at one point a fielder (to remain unnamed) was possibly asleep at long on and then spent the majority of the rest of the innings sat down on the sight screen. What would the missing Judge Fisher have said?

On to the final game of the season against Brooklands at home. Surely feeling that it's a season of what if...? With a flurry of wins towards the end of the season. Who's to know what would have happened had TCC had better results during the mid season slump after such a great start to the season?